Words in italic type have been added for clarity. They are not found in the original Hebrew or Aramaic.

Ephesians 4

Walk in Unity

Ephesians 4:¹ I (Paul), therefore, the prisoner (Literally: in) of the Lord, (exhort, encourage) beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called,

Ephesians 4:² with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love,

Ephesians 4:³ endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

Ephesians 4:⁴ There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling;

Ephesians 4:⁵ one Lord, one faith, one baptism;

Ephesians 4:⁶ one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you (or: us) all.

Spiritual Gifts

Ephesians 4:⁷ But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift.

Ephesians 4:⁸ Therefore He says:

“When He ascended on high,
He led captivity captive,
And gave gifts to men.”

• Psalm 68:18 You have ascended on high, You have led captivity captive; You have received gifts among men, Even from the rebellious, That the Lord God might dwell there.
  
• Judges 5:12 (KJV) Awake, awake, Deborah: awake, awake, utter a song: arise, Barak, and lead thy captivity captive, thou son of Abinoam.

• “Captivity Captive” – an idiomatic phrase for “turn the tables” in war against your enemies. God loves to turn the tables on Satan.~The Pentateuch and Haftorahs by Dr. J.H. Hertz, Late Chief Rabbi of the British Empire.

Ephesians 4:⁹ (Now this, “He ascended”—what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth?

Ephesians 4:¹⁰ He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.)

Ephesians 4:¹¹ And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,

Ephesians 4:¹² for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying (building up) of the body of Christ,

Ephesians 4:¹³ till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;

Ephesians 4:¹⁴ that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting,

Ephesians 4:¹⁵ but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ—

Ephesians 4:¹⁶ from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

The New Man

Ephesians 4:¹⁷ This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind,

Ephesians 4:¹⁸ having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart;

Ephesians 4:¹⁹ who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.

• Those who are entrenched and have immersed and marinated themselves in the sins of worldly pleasure will eventually be devoured by them. The more you get the more you will want and eventually, nothing satisfies; until you revel in every form of Debauchery, Dissipation, and Depravity (in 3D).

Ephesians 4:²⁰ But you have not so learned Christ,

Ephesians 4:²¹ if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus:

Ephesians 4:²² that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts,

Ephesians 4:²³ and be renewed in the spirit of your mind,

Ephesians 4:²⁴ and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.

• To be clean is to be separated from sin.

Do Not Grieve the Spirit

Ephesians 4:²⁵ Therefore, putting away lying, “Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,” for we are members of one another.

Ephesians 4:²⁶ “Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath,

Ephesians 4:²⁷ nor give (an opportunity) place to the devil.

Ephesians 4:²⁸ Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need.

Ephesians 4:²⁹ Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary (building up) edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.

• What words would be considered corrupt? Words that are base, meant to hurt, label someone in a negative light, words that are lies, destroy relationships, and can bring down an entire society.

Ephesians 4:³⁰ And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

Ephesians 4:³¹ Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor (loud quarreling), and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice.

Ephesians 4:³² And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.

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